Responding to "Progress"
The world is in constant search of change. This change is almost always called “progress.” It is why the response is what it is when cases like Roe v. Wade get overturned. “You’re hindering progress!” “You’ve set us back a hundred years!” “You’re so old fashioned!” Those, of course, are “G rated” examples, but you get the point.
Everything around us changes so quickly. In the last couple of years (the stage having been set long before), we’ve seen basic rights taken away. Speech has been hindered—especially within the Church. It is a crime in many places for Christians to simply call sin “sin.” We’ve followed many of these instances here on the blog. The ones of the world—the ones seeking after such “progress”—will not ever stop. They will continue to harass and berate. They will come after the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel in an attempt to silence the word. Unfortunately, too many pastors don’t have the fortitude to stand against it and fall silent. They want to be people pleasers. They fear for their salary and pension if they lose members. Now is not the time for silence. The enemy is on the attack.
One politician (in his best attempt to be a theologian) tried to make a valid point, but he failed miserably. Unfortunately, the masses of American Christians are so un-catechized that they fell for it. The most credible news source out there, the Huffington Post, reported it. “Rep. Ted Lieu Silently Schools GOP On Jesus Christ’s Comments About Homosexuality.” You click wanting to see what he said that was so clever, but all he did was stand in silence. You know, because Jesus never said anything about it. Durrr. What a moron!
My point here isn’t to tell you about what Jesus actually said. It’s to encourage you to remain faithful as the enemy is ordering their troops. If the government and others are lining up to come after the Church, make them do so on the basis of the historic confession of the Church. The liturgy hasn’t been altered. The lectionary remains the same. The hymns and chants are ancient. The confession is the same. So don’t give them the opportunity to say that what you’re doing is new or novel or “progressive.” If they’re going to attack the Church and her confession, make them attack the foundation of that confession, namely the apostles and prophets. All of these churches that have “gone woke” are in trouble. Pastors who have jumped on the social justice bandwagon have no leg to stand on. Instead, we stand with Paul as he says to the Corinthians, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
If there’s ever a time for the Church to return to the ways of old, it is now. If you’re in a spot that has abandoned that tradition, it’s time to have a serious look at why and move to remedying that. In our remaining the same, it will force those outside to admit that they’re the ones who have changed. And while they’ll certainly do that and do it with pride in their “progress,” we stand on the firm foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus being the cornerstone. This goes for the way we preach and sing. It especially goes for the way we teach not only on Sunday mornings but also our children each day. The move for our Lutheran schools to be Classical schools will be necessary—another return to the ways of Luther and Melanchthon. After all, the Reformation was built on ad fontes. Perhaps it’s time again.